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After 30 years at its prominent Broad Street location in downtown Nevada City, Cirino’s Bar & Grill will close at the end of January, said owner Jerry Cirino.

Some of the restaurant’s menu items and staff will be consolidated into Cirino’s Grass Valley location, which has been open for a decade at 215 West Main St., Cirino said.

“We made our mark serving food we eat at home,” Cirino said of the initial locale at 309 Broad St. “We’re not closing because of a lack of business.”

Increased labor costs that are “detrimental to small businesses” prompted him to consolidate his restaurants, Cirino told The Union Wednesday.

“We need to reduce the number of employees,” he said. “The state and federal government has taken the most valuable asset of a business (employees) and made it a liability.…

“They have disrupted, irreparably, the triangular relationship between customer, employee and employer.”

Cirino’s Nevada City location employs 30 people, Cirino said, adding that he expects many of them to retire as they only work a couple of days a week.

“Some of them are 10- to 16-year employees,” Cirino said.

“I will find employment for (the others). I won’t stop until every person is employed.”

After a “couple of months” of contemplation, the decision to fold the Nevada City location into Grass Valley’s Cirino’s was made because the latter of the two has more room for expansion, Cirino said, adding that he intends to add at least five positions in the transition.

“The future of the Grass Valley site and its size is … conducive to this decision,” Cirino said.

Along with the transition, Nevada City’s Cirino’s pizza, Gorgonzola burger and Bloody Mary recipes will also head over to Grass Valley.

Cirino does not plan to continue to lease the Broad Street location. And although he said the employees are his top priorities, he said he will miss the loyal patrons who have frequented the restaurant.

“We see the grandchildren there of people who proposed in there,” Cirino said.

The younger of Cirino’s two sons, Ryan, manages the Nevada City location’s kitchen.